U.S. Consumer Safety Is Now Stepping In To Help Samsung Recall 2.5 Million Galaxy Note 7 Phones

The continuing situation with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 has finally become a problem too large for Samsung to handle on its own apparently. Days after the company provided owners to switch out their phones for a new one voluntarily while working out the strategy for a full recall, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has come out to lend their support and their suggestions to those affected by the company’s phones.

According to a statement released by the CPSC, who is working with Samsung to expedite their recall, users should stop using their phones immediately and seek a replacement:

Lithium-ion batteries pack a lot of power into a small package. When these batteries overheat and burst, the results can be serious. This is why the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging all consumers who own a Samsung Galaxy Note7 to power them down and stop charging or using the device.

This consumer warning is based on recent reports involving lithium-ion batteries in certain Note7 devices that have resulted in fires. These incidents have occurred while charging and during normal use, which has led us to call for consumers to power down their Note7s.

CPSC and Samsung are working cooperatively to formally announce an official recall of the devices, as soon as possible. CPSC is working quickly to determine whether a replacement Galaxy Note7 is an acceptable remedy for Samsung or their phone carriers to provide to consumers.

It should be noted that this is not an official recall of the device, but instead a pledge to assist Samsung to formulate their recall while providing a stern warning to users. A formal recall would make the phone illegal to sell in the United States. As Gizmodo notes, the current voluntary recall has been a nightmare for customers and providers with many companies claming they haven’t received any replacement devices at this point.

The FAA has also weighed in on bringing the Galaxy Note 7 onto airplanes, providing a statement that places some hefty guidelines on the phones while not outright banning them:

In light of recent incidents and concerns raised by Samsung about its Galaxy Note 7 devices, the Federal Aviation Administration strongly advises passengers not to turn on or charge these devices on board aircraft and not to stow them in any checked baggage.

According to Ars Technica, Qantas, Jetstar Airways, and Virgin Australia have issued similar warnings on their flight. They also point out that it is still easier to bring the exploding phone on board than it is to bring more than the approved amount of shampoo.

Samsung has also realeased a statement supporting the CPSC’s position on the Galaxy Note 7 recall, asking customers to immediately use the exchange programs. For customers, all replacement phones will be labled with an S on the box — though this is reportedly more difficult to find out if the phone is already out of its box.

Obviously if you own the phone or know someone with the phone, get it into the replacement queue now instead of later. The way this seems to be going could mean people waiting for phones once the full recall goes into effect.

(Via The Verge / Gizmodo / Ars Technica / CNN)